Revision as of 20:23, 6 May 2014

The Took family was the pre-eminent clan of Hobbits in the Shire, being wealthy and having held the office of the Thain for centuries.[1] ("Took" was pronounced like "Two-k", not like "book" or "took" as in the past tense of "taken"[source?]).

Tooks were mainly of Fallohide Hobbit stock, and were more adventurous than the other Hobbits.[4] They also had quite a reputation for unusual behavior, a quality not exactly valued by most hobbits; for this reason they were seen as less respectable. The WizardGandalf was a known, if disreputable, associate.[5]Bilbo Baggins and Meriadoc Brandybuck both had Took mothers.

As was customary in traditional hobbit families, the head of the Took family ruled the clan with his wife, thus upon his death, she continued to rule as the matriarch of the family. Such was the case with Lalia Clayhanger who succeeded her husband, Fortinbras, to clan leadership. However, the Thainship passed only through male descent, so her son, Ferumbras III, was the Thain immediately after his father’s death.[6]

Took men usually were given high-sounding names which evoked battles, weapons or figures of legend. Pippin Took for example, was named after Razanur, a legendary figure[source?]. Took women had names of jewels, or exotic or mythical flowers.[7]

In the Fourth Age the Great Smials became an important repository of historic books and records.[10]

Family Tree of the Tooks of the Great Smials

Showing the line of the Thains and prominent members of the Took clan.[3] The figures after the names are those of birth (and death where that is recorded). A name preceded by an '*' indicates one who held the office of the Thain. A dashed line indicates marriage. Names in italics signify those who attended Bilbo's Farewell Party on 22 SeptemberS.R.1401.

Etymology

Took is a Welsh surname, referring to a type of sword. One of the earliest spellings of the Hobbitish form of the name in The History of Middle-earth (Tūca) matches the Welsh spelling for this name/sword,[12] which suggests that Tolkien apparently was aware of the Welsh meaning.

Inspiration

The inspiration for Elvish blood amongst the Tooks may have possibly come from the Tollkühn family intermarrying with nobility:

"The family [Tollkühn] was also supposed to have connections with France and to have intermarried with the nobility in that country', where they acquired a French version of their nickname, du Temeraire."

" [Tolkien's] Aunt Grace preferred the more romantic (if implausible) story of how one of the du Temeraires [Tolkiens] had fled across the [English] Channel in 1794 to escape the guillotine, apparently then assuming a form of the old name, 'Tolkien'. This gentleman was reputedly an accomplished harpsichordist and clock-repairer."

The inspiration for the name Took may have come from Tollkühn, meaning "foolhardy".

"She [Tolkien's aunt Grace] alleged that the family name ['Tolkien'] had originally been 'von Hohenzollern', for they had emanated from the Hohenzollern district of the Holy Roman Empire. A certain George von Hohenzollern had, she said, fought on the side of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria at the Siege of Vienna in 1529. He had shown great daring in leading an unofficial raid against the Turks and capturing the Sultan's standard. This (said Aunt Grace) was why he was given the nickname Tollkühn, 'foolhardy'; and the name stuck."